Page 44 - WesternU View Summer 2019

NEWS ROUNDUP

Left to right: Tuskegee University President Lily D. McNair, WesternU College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Phillip Nelson, and Tuskegee College of
Veterinary Medicine Dean Ruby L. Perry. Photo courtesy of Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine; College of Pharmacy Research Scientist
Preshita Desai, BPharm, PhD.

WesternU CVM dean honored as WesternU COP researcher nets

Tuskegee distinguished alumnus $120K grant for cancer research

Western University of Health Sciences College of Preshita Desai, BPharm, PhD, received the 2019 AACR-
Veterinary Medicine Dean Phillip Nelson, DVM, PhD, Novocure Tumor Treating Research Fellowship for her
received the Distinguished Veterinary Alumni Award at project, “Tumor Treating Fields Triggered Targeting of
the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine Nanoparticles in Cancer.”
Spring Commencement May 4, 2019. Dr. Nelson
The grant is a joint effort between Novocure and the
graduated with his DVM degree from Tuskegee Institute
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) to
in 1979.
recognize and encourage innovative research on Tumor
Dr. Nelson said being honored as an alumnus means even Treating Fields. The fellowship grant — worth $120,000
more to him because he appreciates that Tuskegee over two years — also provides related research
provided him opportunities that other institutions did not. equipment, the InovitroTM TTFields Lab Bench System,
free of charge. Only two such fellowships were awarded
“I have a special place in my heart for Tuskegee because
via a worldwide call for grant proposals. Click here to
they were there for me, and I feel that Tuskegee is the
read more from Novocure.
safety net for minorities, if you will,” Nelson said. “The
talk of the town right now, the political atmosphere that Desai is a research scientist in the laboratory of Western
we’re going through now, reminds us of the threat of University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy
taking 10 steps backward and reminds us of the Executive Associate Dean Sunil Prabhu, BPharm, PhD.
importance of having that safety net even though things

have changed.”

42 | WESTERNU VIEW Summer/Fall 2019